A new assessment method for water environment safety and its application

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Water Resource Management
• Risk Assessment

Background:

• The Three Gorges Reservoir area faces high water pollution risks due to its size, population, economic activity, and heavy waterway traffic.
• These factors pose a significant threat to water environmental safety, necessitating comprehensive assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a robust water environmental safety assessment system for the Three Gorges Reservoir area.
• To introduce a Water Environment Safety Index for quantifying water safety levels.

Main Methods:

• Proposed the Driving-Pressure-State-Impact-Response-Risk (DPSIRR) Water Environmental Safety model.
• Established a comprehensive assessment system using scientifically rigorous criteria.
• Assessed temporal and spatial water environmental safety in 22 counties/districts from 2017-2021.

Main Results:

• The overall water environment safety in the Chongqing section of the Three Gorges Reservoir area is relatively safe.
• Some districts, including Wanzhou and Jiangjin, are in a 'Warning' state.
• Water environmental safety is better in the northeast than the southwest, with key threats including the Three Gorges Project's impact, soil erosion, pollution, and accidents.

Conclusions:

• The developed DPSIRR model provides a reliable method for assessing water environmental safety.
• The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions in specific areas and addressing identified threats.
• This research contributes a novel approach to water environmental safety assessment and management.